As the dust starts to settle on the WNBA All-Star fan voting, it’s not just Caitlin Clark’s name dominating the chatter. Angel Reese has stirred up plenty of conversation herself after some eye-popping numbers—and a few eyebrow-raising ones too.
The Chicago Sky rookie found herself ranking fifth among frontcourt players in the fan votes, which is no small feat. Only Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Aliyah Boston had more support. But while fans turned out in droves to back Reese, things got a bit more complicated when it came to the votes from the media and even her fellow WNBA players, reported the Spun.
Shockingly, both the media and players placed Reese 12th in their rankings. That weighted score left her with a 7.75, which put her in a tie with Kiki Iriafen and ultimately kept her from clinching a starting spot in the All-Star lineup.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Reese is expected to make the team as a reserve, and considering the votes she did pull in from the fans, that seems more than likely. She ended up with a hefty 506,741 fan votes, making her one of only ten players to hit the half-million mark.
That being said, her total didn’t come close to Caitlin Clark’s staggering 1.29 million. No other player even cracked the one million mark, let alone got within 100,000 votes of Clark. But it’s Reese’s dip in the media and player voting that’s caused the most head-scratching.
Fans didn’t hold back on social media, expressing frustration and disbelief. One user wrote, “Angel Reese fans should be more than a little upset — after all the glazing, both the Media and Player votes ranked her 12th. Given how she’s playing right now, she’s in the top 5 of bigs — I’d put her at 4 behind Boston, Collier, and Wilson. And I’m a staunch critic.”
Another fan was even more blunt, pointing fingers at the voting process itself. “Forget Caitlin… Kiki Iriafen over Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese? Kelsey Plum 16th? Britney Sykes, the ft merchant and Tash Cloud who had one good week? Nah… player votes need to be stripped.”
And someone else weighed in with a broader take, writing, “Angel Reese will never be MVP of the WNBA, neither will Caitlin Clark, not that she won’t deserve it, but they just won’t give Caitlin the votes, even if it is obvious she should be the MVP. Angel has started playing better, I will give her that.”
It’s clear that Reese is gaining momentum on the court and attracting plenty of attention off it too. With her game improving and her popularity soaring, this All-Star voting drama might just be the start of an even bigger conversation about how talent and recognition are measured in the league.